Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT Shares Sold by Anchor Capital Advisors LLC

Key Points

• Anchor Capital Advisors cut its Applied Materials stake by 30.5% in the second quarter, selling 19,916 shares and retaining 45,400 shares valued at $32.8 million. Institutional investors still own approximately 80.6% of AMAT.
• Applied Materials reported strong fiscal third-quarter results, with revenue rising 24.8% year over year to $9.12 billion and adjusted EPS of $3.50, beating estimates. Its roughly $10.25 billion fourth-quarter revenue outlook also exceeded analyst expectations.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive view, with AMAT carrying a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $640.17, though the stock’s premium valuation and cautious market reaction create downside risks if AI or memory-related spending slows.

Anchor Capital Advisors LLC trimmed its position in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Free Report) by 30.5% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 45,400 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock after selling 19,916 shares during the quarter. Anchor Capital Advisors LLC's holdings in Applied Materials were worth $32,824,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of AMAT. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 4.3% during the 2nd quarter. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 409 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $296,000 after buying an additional 17 shares during the last quarter. Stonebridge Financial Group LLC grew its stake in Applied Materials by 2.1% in the 2nd quarter. Stonebridge Financial Group LLC now owns 1,003 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $725,000 after acquiring an additional 21 shares during the last quarter. Basecamp Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in Applied Materials by 0.7% in the 1st quarter. Basecamp Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,288 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $1,124,000 after acquiring an additional 22 shares during the last quarter. Financial Management Professionals Inc. increased its holdings in Applied Materials by 2.2% during the 2nd quarter. Financial Management Professionals Inc. now owns 1,040 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $752,000 after acquiring an additional 22 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Elevation Wealth Partners LLC increased its holdings in Applied Materials by 34.8% during the 2nd quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 93 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock valued at $67,000 after acquiring an additional 24 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.56% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting Applied Materials

Here are the key news stories impacting Applied Materials this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials reported fiscal third-quarter revenue of approximately $9.12 billion, up 24.8% year over year, while adjusted earnings of $3.50 per share exceeded consensus estimates. Management’s fiscal fourth-quarter revenue outlook of roughly $10.25 billion was also well above analyst expectations, signaling continued momentum. AMAT Q2 Deep Dive: AI Demand and Advanced Packaging Drive Guidance Upside, Market Reacts Cautiously
• Positive Sentiment: Several analysts remained constructive: B. Riley and Needham reiterated buy ratings, while price targets were raised to $600 and $660. These revisions reflect confidence in Applied Materials’ earnings growth and exposure to AI-related chip manufacturing. Applied Materials' Buy Rating Reiterated at B. Riley Financial Applied Materials Price Target Raised to $600 Applied Materials Price Target Raised to $660
• Positive Sentiment: Investment commentary highlights AMAT as a potential beneficiary of the AI-driven memory surge. Higher memory spending and advanced semiconductor production could support equipment demand beyond the current earnings cycle. Why Applied Materials Could Be a Major Winner of the AI Memory Surge
• Neutral Sentiment: Market coverage characterizes the earnings report as fundamentally strong but notes that investors reacted cautiously, implying that much of the growth may already be reflected in the share price. Applied Materials: When Beating Wall Street Numbers Isn't Enough
• Negative Sentiment: Despite record results and guidance, AMAT remains more than 25% below its 52-week high and trades at a premium earnings multiple. That valuation raises the risk of profit-taking or disappointment if AI and memory spending slows. Applied Materials Trades More Than 25% Below Its High With Revenue at a Record

Applied Materials Price Performance

Applied Materials stock opened at $535.31 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $425.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 46.15, a P/E/G ratio of 1.25 and a beta of 1.61. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 12-month low of $154.46 and a 12-month high of $739.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 2.42 and a quick ratio of 1.79. The firm's 50-day moving average is $565.01 and its two-hundred day moving average is $447.20.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 13th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $3.50 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.40 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $9.12 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.99 billion. Applied Materials had a net margin of 30.05% and a return on equity of 38.02%. The company's revenue was up 24.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.48 earnings per share. Applied Materials has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 3.820-4.220 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.48 earnings per share for the current year.

Applied Materials Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 20th will be paid a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 20th. Applied Materials's payout ratio is presently 18.28%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Prabu G. Raja sold 50,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $505.28, for a total transaction of $25,264,000.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 356,642 shares in the company, valued at $180,204,069.76. This trade represents a 12.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, SVP Omkaram Nalamasu sold 24,263 shares of Applied Materials stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $593.43, for a total value of $14,398,392.09. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 146,916 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $87,184,361.88. This represents a 14.17% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 278,088 shares of company stock worth $169,654,805 in the last three months. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have issued reports on AMAT. Citigroup reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Truist Financial set a $575.00 price objective on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Thursday, May 28th. HC Wainwright set a $850.00 price objective on Applied Materials in a research report on Monday, June 29th. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their target price on Applied Materials from $675.00 to $700.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Applied Materials from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have assigned a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $640.17.

Applied Materials Profile

Applied Materials, Inc is a U.S.-based supplier of equipment, services and software used to manufacture semiconductor chips, flat panel displays and other advanced materials. Headquartered in Santa Clara, California, the company designs and sells capital equipment and related technologies that enable production of integrated circuits, display panels and materials used across the electronics supply chain.

Applied Materials' offerings include process equipment and factory software that support critical steps in device fabrication, such as deposition, etch, implantation, inspection and metrology, as well as systems for packaging and advanced heterogeneous integration.

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